Parachute toy



Dec. 12, 1933. w NEWMAN 1,938,931

PARACHUTE To! Filed Dec. 6, 1932 lnnentor THOMAS w. N EWMAN attorney j Patented Dec. 12, 1933 4 imnscnnrniroyj. v

Ihomas W. Newman, Columbus, Ohio, assignor of ninety per cent bus, Ohio to FredW. Bedding, Colum-.

Application December 6, 1932. Serial No. 645,881

3 Claims. (CI. 46-52) This invention relates to toys and particularly to parachute toys of the species in which the parachute portion is connected with a pair of hollow hemispheres constituting a container for the parachute portion during the flight of the toy upward. In practice the parachute portion is folded or crumpled or compacted within the closed hemispheres, these being temporarily held together when the toy is thrown upward into the air where-- upon the hemispheres open with the'result that the parachute portion is liberated and expands and allows the toy to float slowly to the ground.

A number of patents have been granted for such devices, but as far as I am aware such former devices have been of such expensive construction as to preclude their retail sale for a sum, a dime for instance, within the reach of small children. The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a toy of the species referred to of improved and simplified construction and improved mode of operation and which can be produced at a cost within the range of the buying power of children.

The invention is embodied in the example herein shown and described, the features of novelty being finally claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawing Fig. l is a View ofthe toy in side elevation according to the invention showing the parachute portion liberated from its container as after projection of the'toy into the atmosphere.

Fig. 2 shows the container alone in cross section through the hemisphere connecting means.

Fig. 3 is a plan view looking at the concaved side of the parachute container structure.

Fig. 4. is a side elevation of the closed container looking toward the end of the hinge connection.

Fig. 5 is a similar view looking down on the hinge connection and with cord wrapped around the same to temporarily hold the parts of the container in closed position as when throwing the toy into the air.

In the views 6, 6, designates the hollow hemispheres forming the parachute container, said parts being connected by a hinging portion 7. These parts, according to the present invention are formed of soft or resilient rubber, all molded as one integral piece thereby avoiding the expense of making and assembling such parts as separate pieces. If desired the hemispheres are provided with a slightly stifiening bead 8 around their rims, and the connecting hinge is left perforated, as shown at 9, to receive the attachingcord of the parachute portion. .The hinge has a depression in its middle to permit the rims to fit closely together.

Exteriorly the hemispheres are provided with ribs forming, when the hemispheres are closed, continuous grooves 10 and 11, the former for receiving several retaining coils of the parachute cord 12 wrapped around the hemispheres to hold them temporarily closed when the toy is in transit upward into the atmosphere, and the latter groove to receive an ordinary rubber band to-hold the cord 12 in wrapped condition as when the toy is being carried in the pocket or displayed on a sales counter. 7

13 designates the parachute proper which can be a square portion of flexible woven fabric of light weight, 'as for example silk, or imitation thereof, the four corners of said portion 13 having each attached thereto a guy cord focused by a knot 14 above the hinge to a single cord 12. The single cord-l2 is passed through the perforation of the hinge and constitutes the means for wrapping around the hemispheres in the groove 10 to hold the hemispheres temporarily together, said cord being provided with a knot 15 spaced sufiiciently from the knot 14 to allow play of the hinge between said knots, said knots constituting stops to limit the play.

The cord 12 is provided at its end with a small weight 16, preferably of lead, which promotes the unwinding of the cord from the ball when thrown into the atmosphere,said ball, of course, rotating when it is thrown. Y

17 designates a cord, elastic if desired, attached at its ends to the opposite outer edges of the two hemispheres to extend diametrically across the concave sides of the hemispheres when the latter are in extended or open position. Said cord, when the hemispheres spring to open position, straightens and tends to expel the parachute proper from thecontainer. f

By reason of the integrality of the hemispheres with the hinging portion the container is economically manufactured in a mold and the hemireason'of the resilient hinge the hemispheres.

when released from a closed position automatically resume the open position and such automatic opening of the container and straightening of the cord effects the ejection of the parachute proper as set forth.

In use the toy is thrown into the air with the parachute proper inclosed in the hemispheres.

' The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is: v g V 1. In a parachute toy, a container for the parachute proper comprising closable container sections having resilient means hingedly connecting them, said resilient means constructed to' yieldingly hold said container members normally in open position and. a parachute ejector-means consisting of a string connected with the outer opposite portions of said container members of such length as to be tightened by the opening of the container members.

2. In a parachute toy, a container for the parachute proper of resilient material including holsaid hemispheres are normally and yieldingly held in open and extended position.

Y THOMAS W. NEWMAN 

